By a very narrow margin, as little as 0,07, Peruvian Jhonny Guerrero missed out on making it onto the podium at the most competitive youth world championship in history, which ended last week in Huntington Beach, California.

A few months earlier, in a controversial judging situation, he placed second in the South American youth championship. This has motivated the junior from Chorrillos who has managed to establish himself as a respectable surfer in any event in the world, junior or professional.

Now he is going to Taiwan, where the WSL Junior World Championships will be held. It is his last test as a junior and the Peruvian, who is training in Hawaii, is well prepared to win it.

This young man is the best Peruvian youth prospect of recent years, since Alonso Correa was world vice-champion and since Miguel Tudela, Cristobal de Col, Carlos Mario Zapata and his teammates won the youth world championship. He spoke with DUKE and this is what he said:

How do you feel about the result?
I'm happy with the result, but at the same time a little sad because I just needed to take one step to be able to fight for the title.

Did you have a goal set before you went?
My goal is always to win, but in a competition I can't think about winning until I reach the final. I can only think heat by heat, concentrating and breathing, planning a good strategy and staying calm at all times, believing in myself and having fun.

As you progressed through the series, how did you feel? And what were you thinking at the time?
I was just thinking about “step by step, heat by heat”, doing the same routine, analysing and improving… When you do things right, everything goes well. When you lose it’s hard, but that makes you stronger. Sometimes you have to cry, but that shows the desire and hunger you have for your goal.

What do you think you did well or differently in this tournament compared to what you were doing before?
Not thinking so much about winning, just going and performing heat by heat without letting my mind go too far, following my routine and trusting in myself. Step by step and with faith.

And what would you change about your performance?
The only thing I would change is my mistake in the repechage final, I had a six and a four and I should have waited, gotten priority and surfed a good wave.

In the webcast you said that you are motivated by being an example for other children from Chorrillos or Peru, to encourage them to go far with surfing. Tell us a little about that.
Yes, the people in the neighborhood and my family are my biggest motivation, I identify with them. I have seen so much poverty, I have seen my friends go down a dark path, I have gone through so many difficult times… That is why surfing is a blessing for me, an opportunity to get ahead and show the neighborhood that it is possible.

Now you are going to Taiwan, where you have another big challenge. It is certainly not easy to have so many important championships and stay focused. What do you say?
The ISA World Championships have given me confidence and have shown me that I can do it. I am eager and hungry to win, but I am taking it step by step and with faith. I have already come close to winning two championships. I came second in the South American Championships and fifth in the World Championships. I am excited and eager to do this. I am currently training in Hawaii and then I will go to Taiwan with everything I can.

And in the long term, what do you have in mind? 
This is my last year as a junior, I want to be world champion, I can do it and I believe in myself, I'm going for it! With faith.